Stupak: Pro-Life Dems Caving to Obamacare

Supposedly pro-life Democrats are caving one-by-one on their anti-abortion principles to backroom deals by House Democratic leaders seeking the votes to pass Obamacare, Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., said Friday.

Stupak confirmed to the National Review Online that his bloc of an estimated dozen pro-life votes against the healthcare bill is fracturing. With it will go any chance to add more stringent restrictions on federal funding going to support health plans that cover abortion.

"It’s been made clear to us that they won’t insert our language on the abortion issue," Stupak told the Review.

"At this point, there is no doubt that they’ve been able to peel off one or two of my twelve," he said. "The others are having both of their arms twisted, and we’re all getting pounded by our traditional Democratic supporters, like unions.”

Stupak told the Review he would definitely vote against the bill, which adds to the growing whip count on the bill.

The congressman also questioned whether Democrats who recognize the rights of the unborn would feel comfortable in the party going forward, though he said he would not leave the Democratic Party.